Switch for hand lamps



Ju}y 25, 1939s kFiled Aug. 25, 1937 av M j. f IL E i* ya@ /M Q, U9 n@ l Fw@ MM H/v /w Patented `Iuly 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mesne assignments,

to Western Cartridge Company, a corporation of Delaware Application August 25,

Claims.

This invention relates to switches for use on electrical appliances, such as hand lamps, and has particular reference to a novel switch of the push-button type which is of simple construcy5 tion and adapted for manufacture at low cost.

One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel switch operable manually by pressing and releasing a push-button and which may be selectively locked in either a closed position or a safety position in which the pushbutton is ineffective t0 close the switch. A switch made in accordance with my invention comprises a sliding conductor movable endwise relative to a fixed contact. In one position of the conductor, one end thereof is in lateral alignment with the fixed contact and may be moved laterally by a push-button or the like into engagement with the contact, the conductor moving away from the contact upon release of the push-button. The conductor is movable endvvise away from the fixed contact to a position in which it is out of lateral alignment therewith, whereby the conductor Will remain disengaged from the contact even when it is moved laterally by the button. The conductor is also movable endwise in the opposite direction into direct engagement with the contact, so that the switch will remain closed independently of the push-button. It will be apparent that in accordance with my invention a switch of simple construction is provided which may be operated intermittently by a push-button and is movable selectively between one position in which the switch is permanently closed and another position in which the push-button when operated cannot close the switch.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel switch of relatively few parts which is positive and reliable in operation.

These and other features of my invention may be better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional View of a portion of a hand lamp employing one form of the new switch, the switch being shown in its off position wherein the push-button is not adapted to close the switch contacts;

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the conductor forming part of the switch shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1 showing the push-button of the new switch and Fig. i is a section on the line 4--4 in Fig. 1

1937, Serial No. 160,813

(Cl. 20G- 60) showing the member for sliding the conductor of the switch.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I0 designates a portion of a flash light casing of cylindrical form containing one or more dry cell units II. As shown particularly in Fig. l, a disk I2 of insulating material is fitted closely in the cylindrical casing I0 slightly in back of the front end thereof and is seated on an inwardly extending annular bead I3 formed on the casing. The disk I2 is held in position against the bead I3 by bending the front of the casing inwardly over the front of the disk, as shown at I0. A flanged metal disk I4 is supported in the casing by disk I2 and is in engagement with the back of the latter disk. 'Ihe disks I2 and I4 are provided with a central opening I5, and secured to the edge of the opening in the metal disk I4 is a lamp socket I6 which extends forwardly through the opening. The socket i6 is formed with a shoulder I 6 seated on the front of the insulating disk I2, they portion of the socket forward of the shoulder I 6 being threaded to receive a lamp I 1.

A strip of spring metal I8 is disposed in back of the metal disk I4 and is spaced therefrom by a strip of insulating material I9 interposed between the metal strip and disk. The' metal strip IB is formed with a detent I8 which projects through a central opening in insulating strip I9 and engages the base contact of bulb II when the bulb is threaded tightly in its socket. A contact button 20 of conducting material is mounted on the back of the metal strip I 8 and engages the central terminal II at the front of the battery. The flanged disk I4, insulating strip I9, metal strip I8 and contact button 20 are held together against the back of insulating disk I2 by a pair of rivets ZI which extend through enlarged openings in the iianged disk L' I4, whereby no part of the rivets engage the latter disk. It will be apparent that terminal I I of the battery is electrically connected to the base contact of the bulb I'I through the contact button 20 and metal strip I8, but is insulated from the socket I6 by the insulating strip I9. The other terminal of the battery I I is electrically connected in the usual manner to the metal casing I0 at the rear thereof (not shown). In order to complete a circuit through the lamp and battery, the casing may be electrically connected to the lamp socket I6 by a switch which will now be described.

A switch slideI 22 is seated on the outside of the casing at a convenient place and is held on the casing by a pair of lugs 23 (Fig. 4) extending from the sides of the slide through parallel longitudinal openings in the casing. The parallel openings through which the lugs 23 extend permit the slide to move back and forth on the casing. A flexible conducting strip 24 is disposed in the casing between the battery II and the slide 22. The conducting strip 24 is provided with notches 2li' in the sides thereof near the rear end of the conductor, as shown particularly in Fig. 2, and the lugs 23 extend through the parallel openings in the casing and into the notches and are bent inwardly over the inner face of the conductor. Near its front end, the conductor 24 is stamped to provide a central lip which is distorted out of the plane o-f the conductor in the form of an inwardly extending contact 24, the contact being disposed slightly in back of the front end of the conductor. A button 25 extends throughV an opening in the side wall of the casing and is seated on the outer face of the conducting strip 24 intermediate its ends. Apair of lugs 25 (Fig. 3) extend from the sides of the button through spaced parallel openings 26 in the conducting strip and are bent inwardly over the inner face of the conductor to secure the button slidably thereto and thereby prevent the button from falling out of the casing.

The flexible conducting strip 22 is adapted to be moved endwise in the casing by the slide 22 and may be locked in any one of three positions by a bowed spring 21 arranged longitudinally in the slide and seated at its ends against the opposite ends of the slide. The spring 21 is` formed with a detent 21 which rides on a sinuous portion 28 of the casing when the slide is moved back and forth. With the slide in its retracted position, as shown in Fig. l, the detent 21 engages the rear end of the sinuous portion 28 and is held thereby against free forward movement. When the slide is forced forwardly against the action of spring Z'I, the detent 21 rides over the first wave of the sinuous portion 28 and is snapped into a recess 29 which holds the slide in an intermediate position. Further movement of the slide forwardly against the action of the spring causes the detent 2l to ride over another wave of the sinuous portion 28 and snap into another recess SIJ which holds the slide in its most advanced position.

In the operation of the hand lamp, the slide 22 is normally in its retracted position, as shown in Fig. l.. In this position of the slide. the front end of the ilexible conducting strip 2A is located in back of a rearwardly and inwardly extending circumferential flange I4' on the rear disk I4, the fiange M' forming a fixed Contact in the casing. If the conductor 24 in this position is flexed inwardly by pressing the button 25, the front end of the conductor will pass behind flange I4' in spaced relation thereto so that no contact will be made and the lamp I'I will remain de-energized. When the slide 22 is moved forwardly to its intermediate position, the conducting strip 2d is moved therewith to a position in which the portion of the conductor in front of the contact 2d." is in lateralalignment with the flange I4 but spaced therefrom, as shown in the rear dotted line position in Fig. 1. In this position of the slide, the button 25 may be pressed to move the front end of the flexible conductor 24 inwardly into engagement with flange Ill', whereby the circuit of lamp I1 and battery iI is completed through the conductor 2li, flange I4', disk I4 and socket E. When the button 25 is released, the spring action of the conductor 24 will cause the front end thereof to move outwardly away from flange I4 and thereby break the circuit through the lamp.

The conducting strip 2l! may be locked in engagement with` flange I4 by moving the slide 22 to its most advanced position. In this position of the slide, the conductor 24 assumes the front dotted line position shown in Fig. l, wherein the inwardly extending contact 261i and the front end of the conductor are wedged between the bead I3 and flange I il. The circuit of the lamp Il' will then remain closed until the slide 22 is moved back to its intermediate or retracted positions. It will be apparent that when the slide 22 is moved back and forth from one position to another, the button 25 will be held stationary by the edges of the opening in the casing through which it extends, the parallel openings 26 in the conducting strip 24 permitting the conductor to slide freely relative to the lugs 25 on the button.

The spring El is of simple construction and is held in place in the slide 22 so as to exert sufcient pressure to maintain the detent 2l" against accidental displacement in a desired one of the depressions in the sinuous portion 23 of the casing. The slide 22 serves to operate the switch entirely independently oi the push-button 25 except when the slide is in its intermediate position wherein the button 25 may be operated to make an intermittent Contact of the flexible conducting strip 25 with flange Ill'. When the slide 22 is in its retracted or safety position, the switch is effectively locked against closure, since the front end of conductor 24 is out of lateral alignment with flange It and cannot be engaged therewith by operating the button 25. It will be observed by reference to Fig. l that when the slide 22 is moved to its most advanced position, the lip 24 and the front end of conductor 24 are firmly wedged between the bead I3 and flange M', and accordingly the circuit through the lamp cannot be accidentally broken when Vthe ilash light is jarred.

I claim:

l. A switch comprising a xed contact, a conductor slidable endwise relative to the contact and movable laterally relative thereto, a manually operable slide for moving the conductor, a`

sinuous member under the slide, a spring seated at its ends in the slide and normally bowed and having a detent intermediate its ends engageable with the sinuous member, said spring and member being operable to lock the slide selectively in one position in which the conductor is permanently engaged with the contact, in a second position Vin which the conductor is in lateral alignment with the contact but normally disengaged threfrom and in a third position in which the conductor is out of lateral alignment with the contact, and manually operated means independent of the slide and through which the conductor extends for moving the conductor laterally into engagement with the contact when the member is in said second position.

2. A switch comprising a fixed contact, a ilexible conducting strip movable endwise relative to the fixed contact, means for moving the strip endwise between one position in which one end of the conducting strip permanently engaged with the contact and another position in which the conducting strip is ont of lateral alignment with `the contact, said stripv having a conducting portion disposed inwardly from said end thereof and laterally aligned with the contact but normally disengaged therefrom When the strip is intermediate said positions, and manually operated means independent of said last means and through which the conducting strip extends for flexing the strip laterally to engage said conducting portion with the contact when the strip is in said intermediate position.

3. In a hand lamp, the combination of a casing, a contact Xed in the casing, a laterally movable member in the casing slidable endwise into engagement With the contact, a slide outside the casing operatively connected to said member for moving the member endwise selectively to one position in Which the member is out of lateral alignment with the contact and to another position in Which the member is in lateral alignment with the contact but normally disengaged therefrom, and a button extending through an opening in the casing in spaced relation to the slide and having a part bent around said member and through which the member is slidable, the button being operable manually to move the member laterally into engagement with the contact when the member is in said last position.

4. In a' hand lamp comprising a casing and a slide movable to different positions for controlling the lamp circuit, the combination of means for securing the slide against endwise displacement from any of said positions, said means including a xed, sinuous part, a leaf spring seated at its ends in the slide and normally held by the slide in a bowed form, and a detent on the leaf spring intermediate its ends and movable along said sinuous part by the slide.

5. In a hand lamp, the combination of a casing, a lamp mounting at the front of the casing, an inwardly extending bead on the casiniCr against which the lamp mounting is seated, a contact xed in the casing and electrically connected to the lamp mounting, and a conducting strip slidable endwise in the casing into and out of engagement with the Contact and adapted to be wedged between the contact and said bead.

WALTER R. KOPPv 

